Pedal operated door opener



D 1961 w. M. MORRISSEY, JR 3,012,837

PEDAL OPERATED DOOR OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1959 FIG! R m R N x E V Y 7 N E 2 M a a 9 I 0 V M 7 6 8 5 M z 2 Q f m m l 5 J m w M l6 A. la m n I z 5 if {.0 E z m F'IGZ H [5 ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1961 w. M. MORRISSEY, JR 3,012,837

PEDAL OPERATED DOOR OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20. 1959 FIG-.4

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INVENTOR W\Ll-\AM M. Mommssax H l S ATTORNEY 3,912,837 PEDAL OPERATED DOQR OPENER William M. Morrissey, .lra, Louisville, Ky, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 29, 1959, Ser. No. 828,398 3 Claims. {CL 312-319) The present invention relates to pedal operated door opener mechanisms and is more particularly concerned with mechanism of this type including an adjustable hearing structure.

While the door operating mechanism of the present invention is useful with a number of different types of doors, it is particularly useful for opening the door of a refrigerator cabinet so that the users hands are free to hold articles being placed in the refrigerator cabinet.

The invention has as a primary object the provision of an improved pedal operated door opening mechanism of simple and low cost construction and particularly characterized by an improved bearing and bearing support structure to facilitate the assembly and adjustment of the operating mechanism relative to the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and low cost bearing and bearing support structure which can be assembled onto an intermediate portion of a shaft or rod.

Further objects and advantages of the present inven tion will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this spec ification.

In accordance with the present invention, a cabinet having an access or door opening and a door for closing the access opening is provided with a door opening mechanism which is mounted on a cabinet frame member extending horizontally below the door opening. The door opening mechanism includes a foot pedal pivotally mounted on the frame member adjacent one end thereof and be low the free edge or" the door, the pedal including an arm extending behind the frame member. A single rod, bent to provide a horizontal mounting section and end sections for respective engagement with the pedal arm and with the door, is also mounted on the frame member. This rod includes a first horizontal section extending along the face of the frame member. One end of the rod is bent to pass through the frame member for pivotal connection with the pedal arm while the other end section of the rod is bent to extend through the frame member and then upwardly and forwardly terminating in a door engaging end portion. For the purpose of adjustably sup porting the rod on the frame member, there is provided a pair of bearing and bearing support members, each of which comprises a bearing sleeve that is longitudinally split so that it can be snapped onto the horizontal section of the rod and a U-shaped bracket having a vertically extending web portion and forwardly extending bracket arms, the arms having vertical recesses therein for receiving the split bearing sleeve and compressing the sleeve into bearing engagement with the rod. A retainer positioned between the bracket arms includes a forwardly extending portion for engaging the sleeve and maintaining the sleeve within the bracket arm recesses and a vertically extending portion engaging the bracket web. Ver tically elongated slots in this vertically extending portion of the retainer and in the bracket web portion are provided for receiving a single fastening means, such as a screw or bolt, for securing the bracket and retainer to the frame member and to one another, the vertical slots permitting vertical adjustment of the bearings support members relative to one another and to the frame member in 3,hl2,837 Patented Dec. 12, 1%61 order to position the door engaging end of the rod relative to the door during assembly of the refrigerator cabinet.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet including the door operating mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the cabinet shown in PEG. 1 taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the door opening mechanism of the present invention; j

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line 66 of FIG. 4; and

PEG. 7 is a perspective view of the bearing sleeve forming part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet 1 provided with a door'2 for closing the access or door opening to the interior of the cabinet 1, the door being pivotally mounted along one vertical edge of the cabinet by means of hinges 3 provided at the upper and lower corners of the door. The cabinet also includes an apparatus or machinery compartment 4 at the bottom thereof. A brace or frame member 5 extending horizontally along the front of the machinery compartment 4 is provided for strengthening this portion of the cabinet while an opening 6 above the frame member 5 is provided for ventilating the interior of the machinery compartment 4. This opening 6 is suitably covered by a louvered plate 7 extending horizontally below the bottom edge 8 of the door 2.

While a handle 9 mounted on the free edge of the door 2 may be provided for manually opening the door, in accordance with the present invention there is also provided a foot pedal arrangement by means of which-the door can be opened leaving the users hands free to hold articles being placed in the refrigerator cabinet.

T he foot operated door opener mechanism of the present invention consists essentially of a foot pedal 11, a

single operating rod 12, and a pair of bearing and bea'ring supports 14.

Thefoot pedal 11 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 15 on the frame member 5 and includes an arm 16 eX- tending through the frame member into the machinery compartment 4. The one-piece operating rod 12 includes a horizontal section 13 extending along the front of the frame member 5 within or behind the kickplate 7.. One end of the rod 12 is bent downwardly and then rearwardly as indicatedv in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing so that the rod can extend through a recess 19 provided in the frame member 5. This portion of the rod is then bent outwardly and to a point in which it is pivotally connected as indicated at 2% to the pedal arm 16.

The other or door contacting end section of the rod 12 comprises a portion which is bent downwardly and then rearwardly from the horizontal portion 18 to pass through a slot 23 in the frame member 5 and then upwardly and outwardly through the ventilating opening 6 where it terminates in a door contacting end portion 24 in meral 26 is provided at the pivot connection 15 for the treadle for normally holding the foot plate portion 27 of the pedal in a raised position, in which pedal position the door contacting end 24 of the rod is in its retracting position as indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

For the purpose of adjustably and pivotally supporting the rod 12 on the forward face of the frame member 5, there are provided two identical bearing and bearing support members 14, which are adapted to be mounted on the rod in spaced relation after the rod is bent into the above-described configuration. Each of these members comprises a flexible or compressible split bearing sleeve 23 shown in FIG. 7 of the drawing. This sleeve which is preferably made of nylon or equivalent flexible bearing material is formed with an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the rod 12 so that it can be snapped onto the rod by means of the longitudinally extending slit 29 and thereafter compressed to close or substantially close the slit and bring the internal surface of the sleeve into bearing contact with the rod.

In order to support the rod and the sleeve bearing 23 on the frame member 5, there is provided a U-shaped bracket 30 including a web portion 31 adapted to engage the front of the frame member and two spaced bracket arms 32 extending forwardly from the web portion. Each of these arms is provided with a vertical recess 34 of a width such that when the sleeve 28 mounted on the rod is inserted in the slots, the slots will compress the sleeve into bearing contact wtih the rod. Preferably, for this purpose the sleeve 28 is inserted into the rod with the slit 2 extending downwardly so that the opposed side walls of the recesses 34 will effectively compress the sleeve. Collars 33 on each end of the sleeve are provided for positioning the sleeves axially in the recesses and these collars may include one or more notches as shown to increase the flexibility of the sleeves.

For the purpose of maintaining the sleeve in the recesses 34, there is provided a retainer 35 having a horizontal or hooked shaped portion 36 which is adapted to engage the top of the sleeve and a vertically extending portion 37 overlying and contacting the bracket web 31. In order to secure the retainer 35 to the bracket 30 and to secure both of these members to the frame member 5, the vertical portion 37 of the retainer and the web portion 31 of the bracket are respectively provided with slots 40 and as illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing for receiving a screw or bolt 42 threaded into the frame member 5. This fastening means 42 serves as the sole means for securing the bearing support to the frame member 5 although means for maintaining substantial horizontal alignment of the bearing member may also be provided in the form of a tab 43 struck from the web portion 31 of the bracket and extending through a slot 44 provided in the frame member 5.

From the above description, it will be seen that the door opening mechanism of the present invention is of simple, compact and low cost construction. Additional advantages of the mechanism become apparent from the consideration of the ease in which it can be mounted on a refrigerator cabinet during manufacture of that cabinet. The ti'eadle and treadle support mechanism pivotally connected to the rod 12 which has been bent to its final configuration are manufactured as a subassembly for mounting on the cabinet. The split bearing sleeves 28 are then snapped on the horizontal portion 18 of the rod after which the brackets are added to the sub-assembly by inserting the bearing sleeves 28 into the recesses 34. The retainers 35 are then put into position with the hooked section 36 overlying the sleeves 28 after which the screws 42 are inserted through the slots 40 and 41 and threaded into the frame 5. By means of the vertically extending slots 40 and 41, the entire rod section of the sub-assembly can be adjusted vertically with reference to the cabinet. to raise or lower the entire rod portion of the assembly or by raising or lowering one of the two bearing assemblies relative to the other the upwardly extending end portion 24 of the door contacting end portion 24 of the rod may be caused to move to the right or left for alignment with the contact 25.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifi-cations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a cabinet having a door opening, a horizontal frame member below said opening and a door for closing said opening; an adjustable pedal operated door opening mechanism comprising a foot pedal pivotally mounted on said cabinet front, a plunger rod including a horizontal section extending along the front of said frame member, means for connecting one end of said rod to said pedal arm, the other end of said rod being bent to form a door engaging end portion positioned to engage a rear surface of said door upon depression of said pedal, and means for adjustably supporting said rod on said frame member comprising a pair of spaced bearing and bearing support members, each comprising a split compressible bearing sleeve adapted to be snapped onto said rod, a U-shaped bracket including a vertical web portion and spaced bracket arms extending forwardly from said web portion and having opposed recesses therein for receiving said sleeve and compressing said sleeve into bearing engagement with said rod, a retainer positioned between said bracket arms and including a flat vertical section contacting said bracket web portion and a horizontal section adapted to retain said sleeve in said recess, said bracket web portion and said retainer vertical section including vertically extending mating slots, and a single fastening means extending through said slots for securing said retainer and bracket to said frame member, said vertical slots permitting vertical adjustment of said bearing and bearing support relative to said frame member and to one another for positioning said door engaging end portion of said rod rela tive to said door.

2. In combination with a cabinet having a door opening, a. horizontal frame member below said opening and a door for closing said opening; an adjustable pedal operated door opening mechanism comprising a foot pedal pivotally mounted on said frame member adjacent one end thereof and including arm extending through said member, a plunger rod including a horizontal section extending along the front of said frame member, one end section of said rod being bent to form an end portion pivotally connected to said pedal arm, the other end section of said rod being bent to extend through said frame member to terminate in a door engaging end portion positioned to engage a rear surface of said door upon depression of said pedal, and means for adiustably supporting said rod on said frame member comprising a pair of spaced bearing and bearing support members, each comprising a split compressible bearing sleeve, a U-shaped bracket including a web portion and spaced bracket arms extending forwardly from said web portion and having opposed recesses therein for receiving one of said sleeves and compressing said sleeve into bearing engagement with said rod, a retainer positioned between said bracket arms and including a flat vertical section contacting said bracket web portion and a horizontal section adapted to retain said sleeve in said recess, said bracket web portion and said retainer vertical section including vertically extending mating slots, and a single fastening means extending through said slots for securing said retainer and bracket to said frame member, said vertical slots permitting vertical adjustment of said bearing and bearing support members relative to said frame member and to one another for positioning said 5 door engaging end portion of said rod relative to said door.

3. In combination with a cabinet having a door opening, a horizontal frame member below said opening and a door for closing said opening; an adjustable pedal operated door opening mechanism comprising a foot pedal pivotally mounted on said frame member adjacent one end thereof and including an arm extending through said member, a plunger rod including a horizontal mounting section extending along the front of said frame member, one end section of said rod being bent downwardly and then rearwardly to extend through said frame member and including an end portion pivotally connected to said pedal arm, the other end section of said rod being bent to extend through said frame member and then upwardly and forwardly and terminating in a door engaging end portion positioned to engage a rear surface of said door upon depression of said pedal, and means for adjustably supporting said rod on said frame member comprising a pair of spaced bearing and bearing support members, each comprising a split compressible bearing sleeve adapted to be snapped onto said rod, a U-shaped bracket including a vertical web portion and spaced bracket arms extending forwardly from said web portion and having opposed recesses therein for receiving said sleeve and compressing said sleeve into bearing engagement with said rod, a retainer positioned between said bracket arms and including a flat vertical section contacting said bracket web portion and a horizontal section adapted to retain said sleeve in said recess, said bracket web portion and said retainer vertical section including vertically extending mating slots, and a single fastening means extending through said slots for securing said retainer and bracket to said frame member, said vertical slots permitting vertical adjustment of said bearing support members relative to said frame member and to one another for positioning said door engaging end portion of said rod relative to said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,570 Bergquist Apr. 21, 1908 1,261,425 Murphy Apr. 2, 1918 2,453,319 Hollyday Nov. 9, 1948 2,456,807 Yind rock Dec. 21, 1948 2,463,392 Kennel Mar. 1, 1949 2,634,970 Rosebrook Apr. 14, 1953 2,675,283 Thomson Apr. 13, 1954 

